8/9/99

Your communit crackles to life and announces "Niko? It's Clara...are you busy by any chance?" in Clara's voice.

You say "Busy? Nah, not really, Clara. What's up? It -hasn't- been a year already, I'm sure." into the communit.

Your communit crackles to life and announces "*quiet laugh* Sure it has, don't tell me you've forgotten already? No, I just have to talk to you about something. If you've got time, I can combine it with bribery?" in Clara's voice.

You say "Hey, hey, knights aren't bribeable, sorry. Well, mostly not. I've got a little time, sure, where do you want me?" Yes, it's a totally innocent question." into the communit.

Your communit crackles to life and blares "Oh, yeah? I thought you said you gave up your armor? Hmmm...make it my office? I'll bribe you with ice cream." The answer is just as innocent." in Clara's voice.

You say "Oooh, ice cream. And I've got it on good authority that armor doesn't make the knight. But, hey, for ice cream... sure, your office is fine. When's good?" into the communit.

Your communit crackles to life and announces "I'm just finishing up putting on makeup, and then I'll be headed down. Then...whenever's good for you this afternoon? I've got about two hours before I have any appointments." in Clara's voice.

You say "Okay, Clara, I'll probably be over before too much longer, then." into the communit.

[Snip to Medbay.]

Kramer is busily tapping away at his terminal, and glances up with a look that turns into a double-take. He gives Niko a quick visual onceover, then grins. "Hey there, Niko. What brings you to Medbay? You don't look broken..."

Niko replies amiably, "I'm here to get a jump on next year's annual--and the ones for the next couple years, too. I figure, just get them -all- over with at once." He grins. Yes, he's kidding. "Actually, Clara asked me to stop by. She in her office yet, or did I beat her here?"

Kramer lifts a brow and notes tolerently, "You don't get all your chocolate bars up front, y'know," then grins and waves a hand. "Go bang on her door and head on in. She mentioned she was expecting you when she came in."

"There's more to life than chocolate," Niko calls over his shoulder, albeit with a laugh, as he comes over to knock on the door in question.

"I already gave at the office!" calls a soprano from within that then pauses. "Oh, wait. This is the office. Okay, c'mon in!"

You walk towards the Chief Aleron's Office.

Chief Aleron's Office

Contents:

Clara

Obvious exits:

Medical Bay

You walk here from the Medical Bay.

Niko quips, as he comes into the room, "I guess you wouldn't believe me if I said I was selling cookies, huh?"

"Hmmm...depends on what they're made from," Clara decides, already scooting one bowl of ice cream across her desk and using a spare bit of guaze to wipe excess chocolate from her wrist before working on the second bowl. "You kiss your wife as ordered?"

Niko looks just a bit entertained by this use of gauze, but does, it may be noted, scoop up the ice cream with a grin. "I did, yes, of course. Poor lady, she's been working really hard lately."

Clara isn't quite as dignified when dropping ice cream on one finger, and simply pops that finger in her mouth while using the other hand to close the ice cream container and put it back in the teensy freezer of her small fridge. Dropping back into her seat, she nods affably, waving at a seat. "Sit, sit, sit. I can't bribe you standing up."

Oh, man. Too bad Kathlyn's not here. She'd really have a comment for that. Niko, though, doesn't even hint that he's thinking that, instead folding to a seat. Sitting's good. So's ice cream. "I can eat ice cream standing up, though," he offers.

Clara nods again, and would probably gasp and turn vastly red were Kathlyn here to make such a comment, already taking a bit of her own ice cream. "Yup, I know you can. But sitting's more fun. Besides, it takes longer for you to run away." She is in far too good a mood, obviously. "How would you feel if Riley took a week off?"

Niko lifts his shoulders in a brief shrug, already eating his ice cream. He's in uniform, so he's taking care to be at least a little neat. "Uh, I'd think it's good? Time off's a good thing. We can cope for a week, definitely. Even two, if he wanted."

Clara shakes her head slightly, stirring at her ice cream for a moment thoughtfully. "It's not exactly a vacation, though. We'll...need that a little later," she admits, a vastly lovesick look crossing her face for a moment before she goes serious again. "He needs surgery, is why, and I want him out for a week, but...we wanted to check with you first."

Niko's brows lift rather dramatically at that. And his eyes cringe from the sun, ack, come back eyebrows! "Surgery? What's wrong?"

Clara wrinkles her nose rapidly, gesturing reassuringly and shaking her head. "Relax, relax...it's just Conley -did- find something that he sent me a message about, and I confirmed it this morning. I need to fix a few things in his lungs, but he'll be -fine-. Absolutely fine."

Niko inquires, really -not- looking all that relaxed--after all, this is his Chief, his brother, "That why he's been tired lately, maybe?"

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Clara nods affirmatively, looking sympathetic and leaning her arms on her desk. "That's exactly it. He's not getting enough oxygen, hasn't been ever since being zapped when the lights went out, bless his heart. We just...we'd like to get this done soon."

Niko nods firmly, "Yeah, of course, definitely. Whenever you want is fine with me, of course."

Clara can't help but grin slightly, gesturing at your bowl. "Yay ice cream bribes. Niko, you're a wonderful, if entirely evil, person. I can't thank you enough."

Niko manages not to look offended, but there's a certain lowering of his brows. His eyes are relieved to be in the shadow again. "Did you think I was going to say no, Clara? Honestly? I mean, it's not like it would take ice cream for this... though I don't mind the ice cream, of course."

Clara exhales a quiet sigh, trying not to wince. "Ni-ko, -no-," she replies quietly, shaking her head and setting her bowl to one side. "I'm bribing you with ice cream because I thought you might like ice cream, and it's fun to phrase it as a bribe. I knew you'd probably agree, just because you're you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend," she offers contritely.

Niko shakes his head. "You didn't, I guess," he says, still looking kind of unthrilled--though that's probably because of the necessity of the whole surgery thing. "It's okay, don't worry about it."

Clara lifts one of her folded arms to rest her head in, good mood vanished rapidly in an air of concern. "Niko...what's wrong?" she asks quietly. "I realy am truly sorry...but, is there something else?"

Niko shakes her head quickly. "Nah, no, Clara. Just worried, that's all."

"Worried? What are you worried about, though? You've taken over command before and done just fine," Clara points out gently, still rather worried.

Niko can't help but laugh, albeit wryly, and shakes his head. "Not about -me-, Clara. Riley. Not that I don't trust you with him, of course, I'm not stupid, but, well, surgery's a scary thing."

Clara aahs softly, nodding slowly and sitting back in her chair, the remainder of her ice cream slowly turning to chocolate soup. "Would you like to be in the OR when it happens?" she offers after some thought.

Niko's eyes widen just a bit, and he shakes his head, one short, sharp gesture. "That's okay, Clara. Thanks, no, that's fine." If surgery is scary, witnessing one is even more so.

Clara can't help but grin slightly at the reaction as she laces her fingers to rest her chin on them. "Hey, I witness them all the time. No problems at all. But he really will be fine. He has to be, definitely. No options."

Niko protests, "But, see, you -do- them all the time, too. You're used to that sort of thing. I'm glad he'll be fine, though, yeah. I don't want to be -stuck- with that job, after all," he adds, with a wry little grin.

"Aaah, there's the evil Niko we all know and love," Clara responds with a hint of relief and a nose-wrinkled grin. "I think he likes his job too, he just likes to be -awake- for it, is all. That's what I'm going to fix. Besides, I'd like to have him awake whenever we get married," she adds casually.

Niko starts to say something about not being evil, a protest, then blinks. Ever see a fish stranded on the beach? Niko does a really good impression of that for a moment, mouth agape, rather startled. "You guys are getting married?"

"Um..." Clara's smile fades to uncertainty as she nods with a faint wince. "Yes? Eventually? I mean...I don't know -when- exactly. We've had the paperwork in the works for a while, is all..." She sighs, peering up at the ceiling and muttering, "Smooth, Aleron."

Niko shakes his head, a hint of a reassuring grin crossing his face. "Yeah, I knew about the paperwork, I think. I just... well, I -know- paperwork now, and the AF, and I thought you'd gotten it through that quickly, and, well, I was wondering what bureaucrat had to die to get the red tape cut that quickly. That's all."

Clara leans her head into one hand, relief warring with amusement on her features. "We got the official approval today," she explains quietly, grinning up a storm. "I was -stunned-, to say the least. I figured they just keep us on hold for the next twenty years until one of us retired."

Niko looks just a little confused. "Okay, so you -did- get it, then? Hey, congratulations, that's great."

Clara lifts her hands in just as much confusion, even if she is thrilled. "I know, it's weird. I'm not quite sure what happened, to be honest. Still, who knows what'll happen. Um...I just...I figured you'd be happy to know, is all. Want something to drink?"

Niko shakes his head, still obviously just a bit puzzled, but wearing a faint grin. "Nah, thanks. Actually, I should probably get back to work. Got to get a few things finished up before I head down to the rec hall. Oh, d'you know when you're going to want to do Riley's surgery, then?"

"Oh, of course! I appreciate you coming to see me though," Clara adds swiftly, climbing to her feet with a smie. "Do a few pushups for me, hmm? So I don't have to do them," she explains. "Um...that depends on Riley? I'll ask him tonight, when I get a chance."

Niko wrinkles his nose just a bit. "No pushups, I've been playing on the climbing wall--with the harness," he hastens to add. He gets lightly to his feet as well, then adds, "Let me know when you find out, eh? So I can start mentally preparing myself for the trials of having to deal with this place all by myself." Aww. Though, of course, he says it more like a joke.

"Awww, Niko, stoppit..." Clara protests with a laugh. "You're doing the cuteness ray thing again. Harness?" She pauses, thinks, then nods. "Harness. Very good idea. Have fun, okay? And be careful. And...thanks."

Niko starts for the door with a shake of his head. "Purely unintentional cuteness, Clara. I never--almost never--hardly ever do it on purpose." He looks a bit puzzled as he adds, "You're welcome," but heads out the door without asking for an explanation.

[Snip. Time passes.]

Niko is, yes, climbing the walls--or, at least, one of them. He's about halfway up the wall, using those handy magnetic glove thingies to climb. And, yes, he's wearing a safety harness. Who'da thunk it?

Tara ambles in, making her way between various scary exercise machines as she moves toward the target range. But somebody climbing a wall- that makes her pause, and she moseys in that direction to stand at the base of the wall, looking up with amusement. "You -try- to break yourself, don't you?" she calls.

Niko pauses in mid-reach, and looks down, with a grin. "Nope. I don't. That's why I've got this on." He reaches for the safety harness, tweaking lightly at it.

Tara wags a finger, grinning "With your luck, it'll get tangled."

Niko shakes his head. "I'm taking the appropriate safety precautions," he says, with a grin. "Tested it before I got up here, all that stuff. It's perfectly safe. It's not like I'm skating down three flights of stairs without a helmet or anything." He's never done -that-. Really.

Tara snickers. "Granted. You really enjoy wall-climbing, or are you getting ready for a physical?"

"I really enjoy wall-climbing," Niko says with a grin, starting up the wall. "It's fun. Lets me play with toys. Besides, I've already had my annual. Healthy as a horse, the doctor said. Though I've seen some pretty sorry-looking horses, so I guess that doesn't say much."

Tara shudders slightly. "That's one nice thing about getting cashiered- no more physicals. And there's other horsey qualities to aspire to," she grins. "Toys, eh?" She gives the wall a speculative look.

Niko waggles one gloved hand, not -even- reponding to the other horsey qualities. Maybe he doesn't get it? If he does, he doesn't say anything. "Toys. Magnetized climbing gear. It's really neat. Makes the climbing easier, though."

Tara chuckles. "What's the fun in 'easier'? Can you climb it without 'em?"

Niko nods amiably. "Not without it taking more time than I've got, though. I do want to get home before some insane hour, after all. Besides, it's a -toy-."

Tara laughs easily. "So in other words, you're not here to exercise- you're here for the sole purpose of having some fun? I'm truly amazed you have time for fun."

"Well, it's still -exercise-," Niko says, as he makes his way further up the wall. "I mean, it's not easy, just easi-er-. Still fun, though. And, hey, I have time. Just depends on when I get off work."

Tara mhmmms, eyes following the SecOff. "Aren't you on the same schedule every day?"

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko shakes his head, stretching to reach the next handhold. And, hey, if the view from below is good, especially with those shorts, he's not aware of it. "I generally go in at the same time, but when I leave is a little more flexible. Depends on what needs to be done."

Tara nods slightly. "Anything... interesting... happening lately in the Security business?"

"Hey, it's all interesting," Niko says, oofing quietly as he finally reaches that next handspace. "Gotta love those RY-47 customs forms. Woo. Hold me back."

Tara's nose wrinkles. "I know exactly what you mean. Customs forms, I firmly believe, are simply the easiest way to cut down on one's profit."

Niko chuckles at that, sitting back hard and letting the harness take his weight for a moment. No, it doesn't get tangled. "They're obnoxious, but they have to get done, like a lot of things around this place. Red tape's a requirement."

Tara cocks her head. "What you need is something that'll fill out the forms automatically so all you have to do is sign 'em." Behold Tara's gift- finding the easiest way to do things, even if they're not entirely kosher.

"I just process them," Niko says absently, moving to finish off the wall and then to slide back down to the ground. Getting down is much fater than getting up, after all. "It's not a big deal, really."

Tara grins slightly. "Depends on which end of the customs process you're on."

Niko offers over a crooked grin as he unsnaps the line to the harness, then steps out of it, absently checking various connections. "Well, that's true about a lot of things; whether something's a big deal depends on what you have to do with it."

Tara chuckles softly. "A lot more than I used to, I assure you. Still, it seems rather a waste of your talents to be spending your time on customs forms."

Niko reaches for his towel and starts to make good use of it. "Someone has to do it, and I don't really mind."

Tara tilts her head curiously, perhaps a bit of disappointment in her eyes for the disappearance of sweat over muscles. "Why not?"

Niko is oblivious to any disappointment. He just doesn't want to deal with being sweaty, that's all. "Why don't I mind?" he inquires quizzically. "Uh, I don't know. It's necessary, I guess?"

Tara looks more than a little puzzled. "So're physicals, supposedly, but I bet you mind those."

Niko shakes his head. "Not really," he admits, looking a little sheepish. "They're not that big a deal, really. A little obnoxious, sure, but they're over with quickly and all, usually."

Tara chuckles slightly, rather amused. "You let yourself in for a lot of unnecessary work, thinking that way, you know."

Niko doesn't really look all that bothered by that. "The work has to get done somehow. What, you think cutting corners and such is a better option?" He doesn't sound accusatory, just curious.

Tara nods, almost surprised at the question. "Of course. You end up with more time to do the things you want to do that way."

"But, see, if nothing else, folks notice that things end up rounded instead of squared off," Niko says, with a crooked little grin.

Tara cocks an amused eyebrow. "Yes, but not until they get done praising you for getting the work done in a timely fashion. So in the end, you don't get yelled at. And that's assuming they -do- notice."

Niko shakes his head, draping the towel around his neck. "Call me straight-laced, but I'd rather just get it done the right way."

Tara shrugs with a laugh, folding her arms. "That doesn't surprise me one bit, Straight-laced. Do you really think the Chief would come down on you for finding an easier way to get things done, as long as they -do- get done?"

Niko shakes his head. "Probably not. But other folks might, could mean trouble for him. And that's hardly what I want, after all."

Tara wrinkles her nose. "No," she agrees reluctantly, "Nobody wants that. Ah, the trials and tribulations of having to put other folks' welfare ahead of oneself."

Niko grins just a bit at that. "Aww, come on, it's not that bad. Hey, how's your little girl doing, by the way? Aren't there laws against little kids being that cute?"

Tara laughs, blushing a little. "She -is- rather adorable, isn't she, thank you. Oh, she's fine, even if the librarians are about to ban her from the place permanently for running them ragged. She still insists you're not cute, no matter what Clara says."

Niko looks altogether pleased. "Good kid. She's absolutely right, I'm not cute at all. And, hey, reading's a good thing. Just make sure she gets outside to play, too, huh? The playground's a pretty neat place."

Tara snickers. "You are too cute, whether you like it or not. Enjoy it while you can." She shakes her head, amused. "She refuses to go outside. Says there's no reason to when she's got everything she needs right here."

Niko shakes his head just a bit at that. "Tara, you can't let her get away with that," he says. "Kids need sunshine and fresh air just as much as they need books."

Tara's eyebrows rise. "Need?" She glances over her shoulder and up before looking back at you.

Niko's head bobs in a brief, curl-bouncing nod. "That's what my grandmother says, at least. Five kids, and about a million grandkids. She's got experience, just a little."

Tara considers that, one foot tapping thoughtfully against the floor. "It'd certainly make less of a mess in our quarters," she muses.

Niko just grins. "Well, that's an advantage, yeah. Still plenty of daylight out, why'n't you take her out, hm? At the very least, she can read outside."

Tara laughs, eyes twinkling. "Devious, Niko, quite devious. Never thought you had it in you. Reading in the park... the best of both worlds."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko chuckles very quietly, with a half-bow. "Thank you, thank you. I do try. And, no offense, that also lets me get home to my wife before she wonders where I am. If you'll excuse me?"

Tara grins. "Ah, so you're not in the doghouse anymore? That's good news. Shoo, off with ya."

Niko shakes his head as he starts for the exit. "I'm not, nope. I'm good at groveling, and she's a very forgiving woman. Everything's fine. Have a nice day, Tara."


Back